Treatment of the "Dizzy" Patient

Reduce Fall Risk. Decrease anxiety associated with fear of falling. Improve independence and Quality of Life.

Vestibular Rehabilitation involves careful assessment of your type of unsteadiness/imbalance so as to determine the likely cause of your dizziness and to devise a specific treatment plan and exercise program to decrease your symptoms and improve your safety and quality of life. Whether it be eye/head/balance activities or a combination of all, Vestibular Rehabilitation can be remarkably effective in dramatically reducing sensaton of dizziness, vestibular-related visual disturbances and unsteadiness that many people suffer from. No matter how long those symptoms have been present.

Dizziness is a broad term that is used to describe all manners of unsteadiness, lightheadedness, spinning sensations (themselves or the room they are in) loss of balance, etc. The type of dizziness you experience can be an important clue as to establishing the cause of your symptoms and therefore devising a specific an effective management strategy.

Vestibular Rehabilitation can be extremely effective in treating the 'dizziness' that can be the result of:

BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo)

Vestibular Neuritis

Meniere's disease

Some forms of "Stroke"

Traumatic brain injury

Post operative brain surgery

Post-consussion

General loss of balance associated with age

BPPV Treatment

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is the most common and possibly one of the most dramatic causes of dizziness. It can appear for no apparent reason or can be the result of a head-knock, e.g., a fall or sport. Typically, sufferers will report a sudden onset (usually when getting out of bed in morning). The Vertigo (spinning sensation) that results is of short duration, less than 60 seconds, often less than 10 seconds. It is often triggered by rolling in bed or when bending down or looking up, e.g., hanging washing on line. Sufferers may experience general imbalance with standing and walking. It may resolve by itself in a day, or may be present for days/weeks.

BPPV occurs when small crystalline particles (Otoconia), that are normal in certain parts of the inner ear, become dislodged from their original position and become either free floating or can attach to another part of one or more of the semicircular canals within the inner ear. This changes how inner ear detects head and body movement giving incorrect and often exaggerated information to our brain. Our brain interprets this information as either our body, or the room/environment we are in, is spinning or moving.

BPPV responds quickly to treatment, usually acheiving a full resolution of vertigo symptoms with 1-2 sessions (may have residual imbalance sensations for weeks after and will resolve). The underlying cause is such that 30-50% of sufferers are prone to recurrence of symptoms. Home exercise techniques can be a successful means of self-management.